Andrew Beresford

Professor Andrew Beresford, affiliated with the School of Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University, is a distinguished academic specializing in Medieval Spanish Hagiography, Corporeal Symbolism, and Art Engagement Studies. His interdisciplinary research bridges Religious Studies, Art History, and Digital Humanities methodologies like Eye-Tracking to analyze audience behaviors in cultural heritage contexts.

Research Interests

Central to his work is the exploration of female sanctity through corporeal imagery (e.g., eye-mutilation in St Lucy's legend), postcolonial interpretations of Castilian religious texts, and devotional practices in late medieval Spain. Recent publications examine the visual dynamics of museum engagement and the symbolic role of the body in Iberian religious narratives.

Publications & Methodology

His 2025 conference contribution on Eye-Tracking in Museums introduces quantitative audience analysis to GLAM sector studies. Earlier works like Sacred Skin (2020) and Reading Religious Subjects (2018) combine textual criticism with visual semiotics to decode saintly representations.

Collaborative Networks

He collaborates extensively with institutions like the Bowes Museum and Auckland Castle Trust, contributing to projects on cultural preservation and digital humanities innovation. His work with the Durham Infancy and Sleep Centre (2018) highlights interdisciplinary applications of hagiographic studies to broader social theories.